Argumentative essay on easy on the wallet or easy on the earth: a case about ethics in sourcing

Introduction

This essay is about making decision on what would be a better choice. Carly LeBlanc works for Fashionforward!, an online auction site where interested customers can bid on designer apparels. Having caught between two options, Carly needs to decide which T-shirt manufacturer should she consider of having business with to promote the company; is it the one cheaper from Chinese manufacturer or the more expensive one from San Francisco CA? Both options have pros and cons on them. This essay is written including the analogy of the case to identify Carly’s dilemma and the moral issue, reflection on the pros and cons of her possible decision, and last, things that Carly should do and reason behind doing it.

Analogy of the Case

The dilemma that Carly is struggling with is the decision that she has to make. If she is going to choose the T-shirt manufacturer from China, it will cost her less to promote her marketing strategy, thus having more budgets for designs and colors and ending up with possibility of earning the most money within the 1st two years of the company that she learned from her Venture Capital Finance class. However, provided that she will just be spending a little over $1000 for Chinese made T-shirts, she thought that these shirts will be from a company that provides low wages, poor safety regulations for employees with rigorous work schedules, and lack of employment compensations. And, she thought her International Management class that made her exposed to this realities which violates the human rights and social justice. On the other hand, if she is going to choose the T-shirt manufacturer in San Francisco, she would be able to support first, the American brand and company in times of economic recession, and second, she can make sure that the quality of the T-shirts will not be compromised as she already gained trust to the company when she worked with community service student organization.
In this case, Carly should prefer to order t-shirts from the company that she trusts. Though she can make more t-shirts if she is going to order it from Chinese manufacturer, the possibility of the quality being compromised is there. Quantity is just a number, but quality is immeasurable. If she is going to be able to give out more t-shirts from China that may have low quality, it may also reflect that impression towards Fashionforward!, and gaining a customer’s trust is not that easy as counting numbers.
Chinese manufacturers normally sell their product in a lower price. Reason is that they concentrate more on low cost/quality products that attract some markets. Benjamin Mandel (2013) says that Chinese exporters enter at low quality and cost and undertake the quality developments and reducing their markups (Mandel, 2013). This may be one of the reasons why Carly’s other option from Chinese manufacturer offers discounted price with free shipping.
Based on the pastoral letter that Monsignor Dennis M. Schnurr (1986); he included, that “ Building up common ethical perspective is important if the economic system is to provide all people more fairly.” (Monsignor Schnurr, 1986). This also reflects about the inequality in terms of benefits, working hours and low wage in some Chinese manufacturers.

Analysis and Critical Reflection

Based on Carly’s case, she should prefer choosing the manufacturer from San Francisco instead of the one from China that is because first of, she trusted the one from San Francisco and she is just considering the one from China because of the lower price it offers, what is she getting for a low price? That is not what Carly is sure of besides discounts. This would be a challenge for her and at the same time an opportunity for her to prove that she’s smart enough to make it, so quitting her internship and dropping the class are not necessary. Since Carly is working on a deadline, she may consider asking for an extension for her assignment. This is another option for her to research for other t-shirt price from other companies which will give her an option, but if not granted then, she should order the t-shirt from the fair-trade company and make the most out of it. Assuming that the Chinese company is not treating its workers fairly would be fine. Besides it will not harm you or anyone if you assume. What important the most is the execution of the marketing plan ensuring that the t-shirts that will be given away are all in good quality.

What Should LeBlanc Do and Why?

LeBlanc should push her marketing plan. Since it shows in her case that she is a smart woman, she may be able to cope with challenges on how she will promote Fashionforward! in most ways. Giving away t-shirts is not the only option that she may think of. She should go ahead and make an order from fair-trade company, but she should allocate the right amount for the orders. However, given that the price will be higher, there are a lot of advantages that she can consider if she will order t-shirts from San Francisco; some of them would be the assurance of quality, and helping the economy by buying local products.

Works Cited

Mandel, Benjamin R. ” Chinese Exports and U. S. Import Prices.” FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK. N. p., Jan. 2013. Web. 7 May 2013.
Schnurr, Dennis M. ” Economic Justice for All.” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. N. p., 1997. Web. 7 May 2013.